The One with the Breakfast Feet - A December 2018 TR *New PTR Link 6/13

[the2ndstar2theright]

The One with the Tornado
Day 8, Part 3: Thursday December 20, 2018

Once the laundry was done, we were off to Disney Springs! It was right around 7:00 when we left CSR. We decided to do a mobile order for D-Luxe Burger and went straight there when we got to Disney Springs. We found some seats at the bar-type table and sat down to wait. I don’t remember exactly what everyone got, but it was delicious!

Those burgers are absolutely massive though, and Mom and I definitely wished we had shared or gotten a kids’ burger. Everything was so good, though, and we were really glad we finally tried it!

After we finished eating, we made our way to the Christmas Tree Trail! This was one of the things I was most excited to see this trip. They had a PhotoPass studio set up near the front, so we stopped for some pictures. This whole encounter was really…awkward. The tent was small, so the photographer had to stand really close to us to take the pictures. And then the backdrop with the castle…well…I think it was mostly because the backdrop was of a close-up of the castle, so it just didn’t look right behind us. And the photographer was very specific about posing us, and it was just really unnatural. We did end up with a couple that weren’t too bad, but most of them are kind of awkward.

Then we started wandering through the Christmas Tree Trail! I really loved this! All of the trees were so pretty and detailed, and I loved seeing all the themes. The posters and “ads” they had hanging throughout too were so fun!

The Four Parks

Mickey & Minnie

Pluto

Beauty & the Beast

Princess & the Frog

101 Dalmatians

Cinderella

Robin Hood

Peter Pan

Tangled

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[the2ndstar2theright]

The One with the Tornado
Day 8, Part 4: Thursday December 20, 2018

Mary Poppins

Fantasia

Dumbo

The Haunted Mansion

Alice in Wonderland

Frozen

Sleeping Beauty

The Little Mermaid

After we finished walking through the trail, we were off to the Christmas shop, where Mom and I each got an ornament. Then, we went to Goofy’s Candy Co. and used some snack credits to get some candy. Our next stop was Mickey’s Pantry, where I bought a mug that I had had my eye on throughout the trip. Then, it was time for World of Disney! I honestly probably bought wayyy too much stuff, but I really can’t care.

Our last stop for the night was Ghirardelli. I got a cookies & cream milkshake, Dad got a chocolate milkshake, and Mom got chocolate chip ice cream in a sugar cone…except it wasn’t really in the cone. They basically just scooped the ice cream into a bowl and stuck the cone on top.

We ate our desserts as we walked to the bus stop. People were very confused by these stops, too. They didn’t seem to understand that there were two separate stops under the same awning, and more than one person in the CSR line tried to get on an AKL bus. We finally got a CSR bus, and it was around 11:15pm when we made it back to our room. We all packed up the rest of our stuff and went to bed around 12:30 or so.



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[missangelalexis]

The Christmas Tree Trail looks so fun! A nice way to end your night and trip!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Yum, D-Luxe Burger is so good! But you're totally right about the burgers being massive. I can never quite finish one by myself, even if I'm really hungry. A kid's burger is a great idea there! (Making a note of this for myself! haha) Your family pictures in this update are so sweet! Some of the trees are so pretty

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

The Christmas Tree Trail looks so fun! A nice way to end your night and trip!

It really was! It was such a fun, Christmas-y thing to end the trip with!

Yum, D-Luxe Burger is so good! But you're totally right about the burgers being massive. I can never quite finish one by myself, even if I'm really hungry. A kid's burger is a great idea there! (Making a note of this for myself! haha) Your family pictures in this update are so sweet! Some of the trees are so pretty

We definitely wished we had thought about getting a kid's burger sooner, but now we know! Aww thank you so much!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

"Mr. Flying Man, Can You Make the Plane Move, Please?"
Travel Day: Friday December 21, 2018

Our Plans:
Travel Home

Our alarms went off at 5:15, but I either didn’t hear them or just didn’t care . It was around 5:30am when Mom started nudging me and telling me to get up. I eventually got up and finished packing up my stuff. I didn’t even bother putting contacts in or anything because it was just too early for that. We got all our stuff, said goodbye to Room #7152, and made our way down to the front building.

Mom went to the desk to pay the balance on our room, and then we went down to the airline check-in to check our bags. It wasn’t nearly as busy as we’d expected it to be, so it didn’t take long at all.

Then, we made our way back to the food court to get breakfast.

Dad got some sort of omelet thing.

Mom got French toast.

And I got Mickey waffles!

While we were eating, there were little birds that had managed to get inside and were waddling around on the floor. I was so tired that I didn't even notice them at first!

We finished our breakfasts and went outside to wait for DME.

Our bus was right on time at 7:45am, and we were the only stop, so we headed straight to MCO. We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly we got through security, despite the fact that I got pulled aside and patted down because I tripped something on the body scanner (the TSA agent said it could have been the Nike check on my sports bra that showed through my shirt a little bit). Then, Mom and I got in line at Starbucks while Dad went down to our gate. When we had checked in for our flight the day before, we were in boarding group C. Dad ended up paying the fee to upgraded to A so that we could get a row together.

Mom and I got our coffee and went to meet him at the gate. We started boarding around 10:40am, and since Dad was in group A, he was able to save a row of 3 close to the front of the plane. Mom and I boarded with group C.

We were sitting on the plane and waiting for the all-clear, and the little boy behind us was just chattering away. At one point I heard him say, “Mr. Flying Man, can you make the plane move, please?” It was so cute and so polite!

We were finally cleared for take-off. The take-off was a little bumpy because of the wind, but the rest of the flight was fairly uneventful.The landing was a little spooky, though, because of the fog, which made it impossible to see the airport or the ground at all.

It was right around 11:20am CT when we landed, which was actually a little early. We made our way to baggage claim and got all of our luggage with no problems before going out to the parking garage to find the car.

We stopped at Chickfila on the way home to get some lunch, and it was around 12:30 or so when we finally got back to our house. Our dogs went absolutely nuts and were so happy to see us!


And…that’s the end of another TR! I’ll be back soon for some wrap-up and final thoughts!

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[missangelalexis]

Super early wakeup call! At least you had time for one final Disney breakfast for heading to the airport. Glad everything went smoothly!!

 

[Cloe Colton]

DH and I definitely missed quite a few of the trees! lol The Peter Pan one is super cute with the pixie dust strands throughout!

Glad you had a nice travel day home, well as nice as it can be leaving Disney! I never used to get taking the early flight home but it is kind of nice to get home early enough to nap/rest and get ready to get back into the real world!! lol We did that in December too and it definitely won't be the last time we do that!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Super early wakeup call! At least you had time for one final Disney breakfast for heading to the airport. Glad everything went smoothly!!

Yes it was verryyy early, but it was nice to get home while it was still daylight!

DH and I definitely missed quite a few of the trees! lol The Peter Pan one is super cute with the pixie dust strands throughout!

Glad you had a nice travel day home, well as nice as it can be leaving Disney! I never used to get taking the early flight home but it is kind of nice to get home early enough to nap/rest and get ready to get back into the real world!! lol We did that in December too and it definitely won't be the last time we do that!

They were all so pretty, but the Peter Pan one was definitely one of my favorites!

It is definitely nice to get home before dark and be able to readjust a little bit. We also flew home on a Friday, which meant that Mom & Dad had two more days off (and I actually think it was more than that since Christmas was the following Tuesday), so that helped a lot!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

See Ya Real Soon!
Wrap Up & Final Thoughts

Well, friends, we have come to the end of this adventure. It has been so much reliving this magical Christmas trip with you all! On this trip, we experienced a lot of firsts:


WDW at Christmastime

4 Parks in 1 Day Challenge

Saw the gingerbread houses at GF & CR

Yak & Yeti

Liberty Tree Tavern

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Peter Pan Float

Tangled Lantern PhotoPass

Candlelight Processional

Toy Story Land

Flight of Passage

Christmas Tree Trail

D-Luxe Burger


….and I am almost positive I’m missing some! This trip was full of so much magic and laughter, and we made so many memories! Visiting WDW at Christmastime has always been a dream of mine, and it really did not disappoint. Some final thoughts about visiting this time of year…

-PLAN. PLAN. PLAN. I know this is true for WDW all the time, but it is particularly true for Christmastime. I genuinely believe that this trip would not have gone as well as it did if we had not planned as well as we did. Check, check, and double check the crowd levels and park hours. I cannot stress this enough.

-Avoid MK on non-party days. Except for the one day that we went to see HEA, we did this, and there is a considerable difference between party days and non-party days. If HEA is a must-see for you (like it is for me), plan to see it on a specific day and plan to stake out a spot well in advance. HEA started at 9:00, and people were already saving spots at 6:45, so we definitely waited a solid 2 hours. The only other exception to this rule would be if there are evening EMH, but I would definitely recommend park hopping and just going for those late-night hours.

-It may be colder than you think it will be! There were definitely a few nights when I was much colder than I would have expected. Be sure to pack layers in your park bag for after the sun goes down!


Those are the 3 major things that I feel like are the most important takeaways from this trip. Thank yall so much for reading along & letting me relive this trip! I’m not sure when I’ll be going back to WDW, but I am just days away from embarking on my study abroad program and just 42 days away from visiting DISNEYLAND PARIS! This will be my first visit to a Disney park other than WDW, and I am so beyond excited. I will definitely by writing a TR for that when I get back, and I’ll be sure to post a link here when I do.

And with that, I’m signing off of this TR. Thank you all for your lovely comments throughout, and I hope you all have a magical day!


See ya real soon!

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[MeghanEmily]

Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us! I think you hit the nail on the head about the importance of planning and crowd levels at Christmas time. I hope you have the most wonderful trip to DLP! We'll want to hear all about it!

 

[Newsies]

STICKY WINGS! STICKY WINGS! STICKY WINGS! I LOVE Sticky Wings!!

A GREAT night at MK. So many rides, so many pictures, and a Peter Pan float to boot! I ADORE that photo of you staring out onto Main St-- def. a keeper!

Sorry about the rain, but it sounds like your last day at MK was also a success! Lots of rides, M&G with Tink and Mickey, and a new shirt! Also, how delicious is the french dip sandwich?!?

Amazing photos from the tree trail!!!

Leaving Disney is always the WORST! But it sounds like your return home went extremely smoothly!!

Lindsey... another AMAZING TR!!! I'm always amazed at how much your family can pack into every day!!! Can't wait to hear your final thoughts!!!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us! It looked like such a fabulous fun time and I love seeing you got to experience so much new stuff.

As a former MK cast member, those last two recommendations are too too real. Non-party days always gave me anxiety to work since I know it would be absolutely wild the whole day and a major spike in crowds from their parties, even though the Christmas parties can get pretty crowded too, they were nothing on everyone showing up after a day or two of not seeing MK fireworks. Also, the cold. Florida gets, and I don't know if I can stress this enough, COLD. November onward have a sweatshirt with you, you will thank me later.

So excited for you for your study abroad! I've heard the most amazing things from that area and I look forward to hearing about your thoughts on DLP.

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us! I think you hit the nail on the head about the importance of planning and crowd levels at Christmas time. I hope you have the most wonderful trip to DLP! We'll want to hear all about it!

Thank you so much!

STICKY WINGS! STICKY WINGS! STICKY WINGS! I LOVE Sticky Wings!!

A GREAT night at MK. So many rides, so many pictures, and a Peter Pan float to boot! I ADORE that photo of you staring out onto Main St-- def. a keeper!

Sorry about the rain, but it sounds like your last day at MK was also a success! Lots of rides, M&G with Tink and Mickey, and a new shirt! Also, how delicious is the french dip sandwich?!?

Amazing photos from the tree trail!!!

Leaving Disney is always the WORST! But it sounds like your return home went extremely smoothly!!

Lindsey... another AMAZING TR!!! I'm always amazed at how much your family can pack into every day!!! Can't wait to hear your final thoughts!!!!

*Sigh* I could really go for some sticky wings right about now.

Aww thank you!! It's definitely one of my faves too!

I was seriously surprised by how much we managed to do despite the crazy weather. Those meets were the perfect way to end our time in the parks! Omg the french dip and a master's cupcake is the best meal. Period.

Thank you so much for all your sweet comments!! Can't wait to read all about your August trip!

Thank you for sharing your trip with us! It looked like such a fabulous fun time and I love seeing you got to experience so much new stuff.

As a former MK cast member, those last two recommendations are too too real. Non-party days always gave me anxiety to work since I know it would be absolutely wild the whole day and a major spike in crowds from their parties, even though the Christmas parties can get pretty crowded too, they were nothing on everyone showing up after a day or two of not seeing MK fireworks. Also, the cold. Florida gets, and I don't know if I can stress this enough, COLD. November onward have a sweatshirt with you, you will thank me later.

So excited for you for your study abroad! I've heard the most amazing things from that area and I look forward to hearing about your thoughts on DLP.

Thanks for following along!

I was so thankful for my sweatshirt basically every night. Heck, I wore a sweatshirt a couple nights in early May, too!

I'm so excited to experience a new Disney park, and I can't wait to report back!!

 

[TaraS29]

Thanks for sharing your trip, really enjoyed reading along. Have an amazing time at DLP!

 

[missangelalexis]

The 3 of you had such a wonderful trip together. I really enjoyed reading about it!

Best of luck on your summer abroad and have so much fun at DLP!! I can't wait to hear about it!!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Thanks for sharing your trip, really enjoyed reading along. Have an amazing time at DLP!

Thank you so much!

The 3 of you had such a wonderful trip together. I really enjoyed reading about it!

Best of luck on your summer abroad and have so much fun at DLP!! I can't wait to hear about it!!

We really did! This was definitely one of my favorite trips!

Thank you so much!!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Hi friends!!! I decided to go ahead and do a short little PTR for my trip to DLP, and I would love for you all to join me as I figure out all our plans for this new adventure!!

A WDW Vet's 1st Trip to DLP!

 

[jdd]

Just binge-read your whole trip report over the last few days! You guys are so cute, and it looks like it was a fabulous trip! We're heading to DW for our first try at Christmastime (been there early December, but this one is right before Christmas) and loving your crowd tips. I actually just changed one of my park days to be sure to get to Magic Kingdom on a MVMCP day I'm thinking this year's crowds will be epic, with SWGE opening, so I'm looking for all the tips I can get. Thanks for a great report, hope you're having a ball overseas!

 

[the2ndstar2theright]

Just binge-read your whole trip report over the last few days! You guys are so cute, and it looks like it was a fabulous trip! We're heading to DW for our first try at Christmastime (been there early December, but this one is right before Christmas) and loving your crowd tips. I actually just changed one of my park days to be sure to get to Magic Kingdom on a MVMCP day I'm thinking this year's crowds will be epic, with SWGE opening, so I'm looking for all the tips I can get. Thanks for a great report, hope you're having a ball overseas!

Aww thank you so much!! It really was the most incredible trip--honestly one of my favorites we've ever been on!! SWGE will definitely make things interesting, especially since there's a good chance that the second ride will be open by then. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the other parks aren't that bad, but DHS will be scary crowded!! I hope you and your family have the most magical time!!